I’m determined to help people who helped me

9:10am Monday 4th April 2011

A WOMAN whose husband is battling dementia is organising three events to raise money for a charity which provides carers with a vital lifeline.

Anita Bailey, of St Philips Drive, Evesham, hopes the events – a fashion show, a quiz and an epic sponsored walk – will raise between £2,000 and £3,000 for Dementia UK to support the Admiral Nurses who give her and others the support they need.

Her husband Trevor, now 60, was just 55 when he was diagnosed with dementia.

Mrs Bailey, aged 56, who works at Evesham Garden Centre and has been married to Trevor for 36 years, said: “The Admiral Nurses are one of the best assets we have for support.

“When I started off I said I would like to raise £1,000 but then I thought that I would like to raise more than that.

“This has given me a focal point. The hardest thing about caring for someone with dementia is the loneliness and losing the person you love and who you married.

“It does happen to younger people and it comes completely out of the blue.”

Admiral Nurses offer skilled assessment of the needs of family carers and people with dementia, provide information and practical advice for family carers, work with families from diagnosis onwards and make sure families have input into the care their loved one receives.

Mrs Bailey now wants as many people as possible to get involved in the fund-raising – but also to raise awareness about dementia across Worcestershire and about the benefits of exercise in dealing with the stresses and frustrations of being a carer.

Helen Springthorpe, Admiral Nurse Leader for Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, said: “We are very grateful to Anita and hope as many people as possible will support these events.

“We now have five Admiral Nurses in Worcestershire, supported by Dementia UK, but with the number of people with dementia increasing, there will soon be a need for more.”

The first event is a fashion show at the Apple Barn Restaurant at Evesham Garden Centre on Thursday at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 and will include refreshments.

The second event involves walking the equivalent distance of London to Brighton and back on a treadmill, which will also be at the garden centre between Friday, June 10, and Sunday, June 12.

Mrs Bailey wants members of staff from the garden centre to take part, with each running at specified intervals over the weekend, bringing in individual sponsorship.

The final event is a quiz scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 28. The venue has yet to be determined.

Call Mrs Bailey at the garden centre on 01386 761888 or e-mail anitajoybailey@msn.com

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/8949644.I___m_determined_to_help_people_who_helped_me/